The present invention is relative to an armed vehicle, in particular it is relative to an armed vehicle with improved structure.
It is known that in the military field armed vehicles, both wheeled and tracked vehicles, are used, which are typically provided with a hull for housing the military personnel, on top of which there is at least one turret, which is provided with an arm, typically a howitzer or cannon, which can be associated to one or more machine guns.
Typically, the turret can rotate with a round angle, so as to be able to reach any firing direction, irrespective of the alignment of the vehicle with respect to a target to be hit.
Furthermore, the cannon or howitzer can be adjusted in its elevation angle, i.e. the angle existing between its carriage and the ground, so that it is possible to define not only the firing direction, but also the inclination of the latter, thus also varying the distance of the point in which a projectile will hit the target.
In particular, the cannon or howitzer of the turret of the armed vehicle fires ammunitions that typically comprise a first component, or projectile, and a second component, or propelling charge.
When in use, the projectile is the first one to be introduced into a breech of the carriage of the cannon or howitzer; subsequently, the propelling charge is introduced as well, following the projectile itself.
Traditional armed vehicles, in particular, present limitations connected to those maintenance operations during which the vehicle is partially disassembled, so as to allow access to its internal parts, in order to inspect them, service them or replace one or more pieces.
In particular, in case it is necessary to check parts that are close to or coinciding with the turret, the latter has to be disassembled with a significant waste of time.
Furthermore, traditional armed vehicles require a lot of time to be supplied with ammunitions; typically, the time deficit is particularly disadvantageous in those theaters of war in which efficiency and rapidity in ammunition rearmament, reloading and supply turn out to be essential for accomplishing a mission.
When considering the ammunition supply of the traditional type, it is necessary to keep in mind that this type of ammunition supply requires a double activity, since the armed vehicle has to be supplied with both projectiles and propelling charges, which are different from one another and are housed in magazines or loaders which, in turn, are distinct and arranged in different areas of the armed vehicle itself.